What Will Help a Marriage in Trouble?

Often the mere thought that your marriage may be in trouble is enough of an indicator that its time to look for a couples counselor. Perhaps you’ve been picking up some of the signs – nobody knows your marriage as well as you and your partner – but it hasn’t been voiced yet. Or contrarily, your partner and you may have been squabbling for some time and the signs are painfully apparent.

What other signs should be on the lookout for? The two of you are constantly bickering. You seem to be pulling away from one another. Arguments include name-calling and “below the belt” attacks. There is a certain “joylessness” in your marriage. You have nothing nice to say to one another. One or both parties doesn’t want to talk about the existing marital problems. There is a loss of respect for one another. You can’t agree on long-term goals. There is a serious lack of trust and overall suspiciousness. Sexual intimacy is at an all-time low. One or both parties has been unfaithful. Your spouse isolates you from your family and friends. You are happier when your spouse is away for a period of time. There is emotional and/or physical abuse in your marriage.

Again, many of these signs are obvious to you. You often have that “gut feeling” that something is wrong. A marriage counselor can often spot these signs and utilize techniques that can help repair an ailing marriage. Of course, the work can be just that…work. Often long-standing problems need a longer stay. But the rewards are often great.